Investigators at the site of the January 26 crash of a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter—which claimed the lives of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his young daughter and seven others—said the aircraft missed clearing the hill it struck near Calabasas, California, by some 30 feet. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Bill English made a point during a press conference the next day to explain that, while clearing that ridge might have provided a few precious seconds to the pilot as he apparently struggled to regain control of the machine, there were other nearby hills that certainly would have posed additional threats. The accident flight, conducted under Part 135 rules, was tracked on radar while it was operating under special VFR conditions near Burbank and then through the Van Nuys area before it eventually disappeared in the hills along Highway 101 near Calabasas on that Sunday morning.
What We Know About the Kobe Bryant Accident
Key Takeaways:
- The helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and 8 others occurred in dense fog under Special VFR conditions, with the aircraft missing a hill by 30 feet and the pilot likely experiencing disorientation.
- While the pilot was instrument rated, the S-76B was not confirmed to be equipped for instrument flight, and he was required to maintain visual separation from clouds.
- The helicopter lacked a terrain avoidance and warning system (TAWS), a safety feature the NTSB had recommended to the FAA for similar aircraft in 2004, but which was never mandated.
- The NTSB also highlighted the absence of cockpit voice and flight data recorders, another safety recommendation for civil helicopters that the FAA had not implemented.
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